There is a version of Christianity that wants the benefits of the Kingdom without the cost of the King.
But Jesus never presented the Kingdom that way.
In her message, The Cost of the Kingdom, Lana Lyman brings us back to a foundational truth: the Kingdom of God is not something we casually add to our lives—it is something that completely reorders our lives.
At North Cities in Garland, TX, we believe this message is not only biblical—it is urgent. Across Garland, Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, and Wylie, and throughout Dallas County, Collin County, and Rockwall County, God is calling people into a deeper, surrendered, Kingdom-centered life.
The Kingdom Is Worth Everything
Jesus described the Kingdom like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he sold everything he had to obtain it (Matthew 13:44).
He told another story of a merchant who found a pearl of great price and did the same thing (Matthew 13:45–46).
The message is unmistakable:
the Kingdom is worth everything.
This is not exaggeration. This is not poetic language. This is reality.
Paul echoed this in Philippians when he said he counted everything as loss compared to the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ.
The Kingdom Reorders Your Life
The Kingdom is not something we squeeze into our existing priorities. It becomes the center of everything.
It reshapes how we think.
It redefines what we value.
It realigns how we live.
When someone truly sees the value of the Kingdom, surrender is not forced—it becomes joyful.
The Kingdom Is Often Hidden—but Transformational
Jesus also described the Kingdom as a mustard seed and as leaven hidden in dough (Matthew 13:31–33).
At first glance, it may seem small. It may not look impressive. It may even go unnoticed.
But what is hidden is not insignificant.
Small Beginnings, Powerful Outcomes
A mustard seed grows into something much larger than expected.
Leaven quietly transforms the entire batch of dough.
The Kingdom works the same way.
It starts in the heart.
It works beneath the surface.
And over time, it changes everything.
Luke 17 reminds us that the Kingdom of God is already among us. It is not always visible in dramatic ways, but it is always active, always working, and always transforming lives.
In cities like Garland, Plano, and Richardson, God is still doing quiet, powerful work in hearts and homes every single day.
The Kingdom Demands a Choice
Jesus did not soften this truth.
In Luke 14:33, He said plainly that anyone who does not give up everything cannot be His disciple.
That statement confronts modern Christianity.
We often want partial surrender.
We want selective obedience.
We want to follow Jesus without fully yielding to Him.
But the Kingdom does not work that way.
You Cannot Live in Two Kingdoms
There is no middle ground.
There is no halfway commitment.
There is no dual allegiance.
The Kingdom requires a decision.
Not just a one-time decision—but a daily one.
Will Jesus be Lord of everything?
Or will He remain one part of an already crowded life?
The Real Cost of the Kingdom Is Self
Many people assume the cost of the Kingdom is external—money, possessions, or lifestyle changes.
But Lana Lyman makes it clear:
the real cost is not things—it is self.
Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24).
That is the cost.
The Battle Within
There is a powerful truth captured in the phrase:
“We have met the enemy and he is us.”
The greatest resistance to the Kingdom is not always external opposition. It is internal resistance.
Our pride.
Our will.
Our preferences.
Our desire for control.
The rich young ruler in Luke 18 is a perfect example. Jesus loved him, but when confronted with surrender, he walked away sad because he could not release what he held onto.
The issue was not his wealth—it was his heart.
Because where your treasure is, your heart will follow (Matthew 6:21).
The Kingdom Reveals What We Truly Value
The Kingdom has a way of exposing what matters most to us.
It reveals whether we truly trust God.
It reveals whether we are willing to let go.
It reveals whether Jesus is Lord—or just an addition.
And this is where the message becomes personal.
What Are You Holding Onto?
What is the one thing you would struggle to surrender?
What is the area where you resist God’s authority?
What is the part of your life you still want to control?
That is where the cost is felt most deeply.
But it is also where breakthrough begins.
The Paradox of the Kingdom
Jesus ended this teaching with a paradox that defines the Kingdom:
“Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25).
That is the upside-down nature of God’s Kingdom.
You lose to gain.
You surrender to receive.
You give up control to find true freedom.
Losing the Lesser Life to Find the Greater One
When we cling to our own way, we limit what God can do.
But when we release everything to Him, we step into something greater than we could ever build on our own.
This is not loss—it is exchange.
We give Him our limited, broken, self-driven life…
And He gives us purpose, peace, power, and eternal value.
What This Means for Us Today
This message is not theoretical. It is deeply practical.
In Garland, TX and across Murphy, Plano, Richardson, Rowlett, and Wylie, there are people searching for meaning, direction, and purpose.
The Kingdom answers that search—but it requires surrender.
At North Cities, we are not just building a church that attends services. We are building a people who are fully yielded to Jesus Christ.
People who understand:
The Kingdom is worth everything.
The Kingdom works in hidden ways.
The Kingdom demands a decision.
The Kingdom requires surrender.
And the Kingdom gives life in return.
The Invitation
Jesus did not hide the cost.
But He also did not hide the reward.
The question is not whether the Kingdom is worth it.
The question is:
Have you truly seen its value?
Because when you do everything else becomes secondary.
